Sermon Prep

Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother [Joseph]? His blood would give us a guilty conscience. Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders.” — Genesis 37:26 Hand it to Judah. It’s not enough to see his younger…

“There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.” —Genesis 29:17 In the opening number of the musical Seven Brothers for Seven Brides, Adam, the eldest of the seven brothers, belts out how he is “lookin’ for a wife.” Shopping for a…

Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing…then the LORD will certainly be my God.” — Genesis 28:20-21 IF God does this for me, THEN I’ll do this for him….

“Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” — Genesis 25:32 In the day, a birthright was a special honor given to the firstborn son. It included a double portion of the family inheritance along with the honor of one day becoming the…

“Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Yes,…

“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.” — Matthew 10:40 Yesterday I’m in a tech store buying a new cell phone. For those who know my inability to stay sequential, here’s the surprise: it went really well. Why?…

“…you will not grieve like people who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13b But you will still grieve. “It’s All Good when you accept Christ!” is an implied message too many hear when church is new to us. When it is not all good after we give this Christ thing…

But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessing when I don’t even have a son?” Genesis 15:2a It’s June, the universal month when the school year ends. We’ve all been in the class when the exasperated teacher kicks That Student to the curb (i.e., the principal’s…

“He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him.” John 14:17a So many of us watched as former FBI Director James Comey recently accused the Trump White House of lying. Our President’s lawyer has…

They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. — Acts 2:7 In late 2015, the notion to paint a painting for the Harford Fair hit and hit hard. I was going to do this. I was going to get my entry in there. Never mind reading the submission/rule…